This invention relates generally to improvements in a winding machine which continuously winds into rolls a plurality of strips cut from an elongated web, such as paper, fabric, foil, metal, plastic, etc. More particularly, the invention relates to such improvement whereby drums contacting the rolls are maintained out of contact with a main drum with which the web makes initial contact upon entering the machine.
A winding machine of the general type herein described is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,086,726 as having riding drums associated with the rewind rolls being maintained out of contact with the main drum. However, the rewind rolls are difficult to remove from their rewind shafts because of the particular arrangement involved, and rewind shafts which each support several rolls are easily bent so as to cause roll distortions during the process of rewinding. Moreover, the scanning device, which senses any changes in the gap size between the main drum and the riding drums, is not suitable for carrying out this operation with the required precision whenever various strips of variable or changeable thickness are to be wound into rolls.